Stories about Ben Stokes

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A thrilling end, drama and suspense is something we generally associate with Pakistan cricket. However, it is England who have provided us with that lately with two of the best games in cricketing history within the span of a few months. And, funnily enough, the main architect of both these matches was Ben Stokes.
When England were handed the task of chasing down 359 runs in the third Ashes Test, most thought it was impossible, especially since England were bowled out for a paltry 67 in their first innings. Moreover, the pitch seemed unbelievably difficult to bat on because it continued ...

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Breathtaking, gripping, electrifying, thrilling and miraculous. I copied these terms right from the dictionary but no matter how I jumble them together, none of these words can do justice to the greatest World Cup final ever. All I can tell you is that England and New Zealand battled to the point that a law which had been sitting rotting in old cricketing books had to be pulled out to declare a winner and force a loser.
The irony is that the final had everything one could ask for, yet it ended in a manner which disregarded everything. After a thrilling ...

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Ball tampering is probably the biggest bane to the gentleman’s game, otherwise known as cricket. By now, what transpired during the third Test between South Africa and Australia at Cape Town is common knowledge, and the blatant attempt at cheating has shocked Australians and the rest of the world alike.
FULL VIDEO OF @cbancroft4 #BALLTAMPERING. There is no doubt. From the yellow item down the trousers to @darren_lehmann sending a message on-field GUILTY! @officialcsa @ESPNcricinfo @icc BAN AND FINE should have changed ball #savaus pic.twitter.com/8LLToUECWa
— Neal Collins (@nealcol) March 24, 2018
There will be those who will say,
“ball tampering has happened many times ...

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“Pakistan will play the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2017!”
A little over a month ago, the aforementioned statement would have made you laugh till you cry, but tables have turned now.
Who would have thought that a team which was down for the count after a demoralising defeat in the opening match of the Champions Trophy against India, would end up in the final a couple of weeks later?
Virat Kohli gives Ahmed Shehzad a send-off after Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets him lbw , India v Pakistan, Champions Trophy, Group B, Birmingham, June 4, 2017. Photo: Getty Images
But unquestionably, the ...

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The alarm bells were not ringing in the desert heat; they were, in fact, ringing aloud in the immediate aftermath of the Pakistan team’s recent achievement; drawing the Test series 2-2 in England. On the back of a resounding victory at the Oval, Mickey Arthur stated that the plan that won Pakistan that Test was, in fact, a plan that Pakistan would adopt moving forward and is seen as the long term solution for the batting line-up.
But did it really win us with that Test?
After much deliberation, when Arthur was appointed, it was seen as a step in the right direction to modernise ...

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As unbelievable and odd as it may sound initially, Pakistan have indeed beaten England at Lord’s, the Mecca of the cricketing world, and that too within the comfort of four days. Too many storylines were involved, too many controversies were fuelled by the English media and questions were asked, but Pakistan seemed to have the most fashionable of answers to everything.
England vs Pakistan.Photo: AFP
England were, naturally, displeased with the outcome of the much talked about encounter and were sour towards the post-match celebrations. Therefore, it can safely be assumed that England will be at their very ...

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The World T20 finished on an exhilarating note. What seemed to be a hopeless match for the West Indian team, turned out to be a miraculous victory when Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes last over.
While Brathwaite will be hailed as a hero in West Indies, the same cannot be said for Stokes. His reaction after his expensive over, 19 runs on four balls, was truly upsetting, but with everything said and done, England played brilliantly as well.
With Joe Root’s 54 and two wickets for just nine runs, England started off great, but Marlon Samuels 85 ...

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The year 2015 has been a year of mixed emotions for the Pakistan cricket team. Having lost both 50-over fixtures against New Zealand prior to the World Cup, the men in green had a horrendous start to the year as they suffered crushing defeats at the hands of India and the West Indies in their two opening games of ODI cricket’s most coveted tournament.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan’s World Cup dream seemed all but over at 58-3 against Zimbabwe, when a resolute knock of 73 by Captain Misbahul Haq, along with a spirited half century by Wahab Riaz, ...

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Cricket is a cranky game. It does not get along with anyone, not even the best. Australia can relate to that more than anyone else. Stepping into England with all the momentum, they were the favourites, full of aplomb.
Five-zero in the last Ashes encounter, two-zero against India earlier this year, two-zero against West Indies in the Caribbean. Winning came naturally and effortlessly to the Aussies.
And then they landed in Cardiff. Since then onwards, it has been a spectacular series, a roller-coaster ride indeed. It has defied what most of us had prophesied at the start – England at Cardiff, Australia at Lord’s, England at Edgbaston.
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Twenty four hours after England’s limp capitulation at the hallowed turf of Lords, the pundits are wondering what frightened the hosts more; their five-star Langham hotel or the long locks of the once gentle and genial giant of India Ishant Sharma?
Throughout the Test series, there were cries of anguish emanating from the English camp, well before Sharma’s seven-wicket spoils, as two burly all-rounders with a fair amount of brawn on their bodies, Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad, were left ‘concerned’ about some paranormal presence in their hotel rooms.
Broad told an English newspaper that the Lords Test against Sri Lanka, that preceded the ...